Gandhi: Good Bad or Ugly

From: Chelvapila < >

Vande maataram

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October 2, 2015

Gandhi was born in Porbandar city in Gujarat state on Oct 2, 1869.

At present we have the benefit of Simhavalokanam-retrospective view to make a better appraisal of Gandhi, his contributions to India both positive, negative and the end result of his actions and activities. Instead constant din of propaganda indulged by those who could also be held guilty for dividing India all these years, silenced the voices other than those who obeyed officially laid line, extolling Gandhi for winning freedom non-violently of course ably aided by Nehru. In fact a time capsule was buried during ’emergency’ in which even Gandhi’s name was omitted, credit was given only to Nehru and some other British Gentleman for making India free.

Good things he did and said.

He himself did not convert to Islam or Christianity through pressure was brought on him for that purpose.

He refused to ‘hand over’ Harijans, as if they were a commodity as demanded to be converted. (At the time of partition in 1947, Pakistan did not allow the Harijans (called bhangis by he Hindus) to migrate to Hindustan because the Paki’s wanted their service for toilet cleaning and excrement disposal. –Skanda987) (Even now Pakistan treats them as slaves to be bought and sold, chained during nights, in days they do back breaking work in fields and farms of Pak’s rich). It is estimated that there are at least 50,000 ‘Haris’ as they are called, Hindus in such status in Pakistan.

He roused feelings of nationalism, yearning for freedom in the masses, provided means to vent their frustrations against British rule.

He had sound ideas of Indian economy which if had been adopted instead of Stalinist Model in the form of Socialistic pattern of society, India would have been better served.

He also spoke of Indian system of education and curriculum which British destroyed thoroughly to create the most obedient class of clerks for their empire. Destruction of Indian system of education was one of the worst things British did, Gandhi said so rightly.

His campaign for self-reliance, production by the masses rather than mass production to alleviate poverty , Khadi, boycott of clothes made in England were sound measures.

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Bad , Very Bad:

All these were however stand overwhelmed by his self-confessed ‘Himalayan blunders’ in politics. Had he remained truly outside political arena both in micromanaging as well as stubbornly insisting on followers telling them his way otherwise no way, he would have been to day be remembered for his positive contributions to growth and development of India.

Instead his political failures cost India so much , as long as Pakistan (of which he was truly a father as that was the only new nation that came into existence in 1947) remains , it is hard to view him as any great soul or sage regardless of constant din and propaganda extolling him as such.

Pathetic indeed how his last act was portrayed in entirely fact free form. Reality was distorted. The fateful fast was portrayed as some sort of noble deed to bring peace in riot torn India. Instead he took it up, until his demise neither for integrity of India nor for any peace, but to force nascent government of India to pay Pakistan huge sums of money exactly at the time when Pakistan invaded India and a war was being fought in Kashmir with our brave soldiers were literally carrying on an uphill task to oust invaders.

Another Himalayan blunder too cost India much. Gandhi shared one trait with Hitler. Both were stubborn. Even when everything around him collapsing, Hitler was waging wars with imaginary army divisions. Even when everything is screaming about his failures, be it Khilafat or his entreaties with Jinnah, Gandhi was still throwing his trusted followers, who were Hindus to wolves. Believing him and his announced fast unto death against dividing India, many Hindus stayed back in what was to be Pakistan, only to lose their life and honor in most gruesome fashion. And ‘Mahatma’ advice to some of the survivors who came to him narrating their woes, was, “be like sheep, the tiger after devouring as many as it wants, it will be satisfied”. However tiger continued its devouring so much so Gandhi confessed to his chronicler, he could be held responsible for ‘betrayal of Hindus’.

The propaganda about being apostle of non-violence notwithstanding, his compassion was very selective.

At the call given for ‘direct action’ in which Jinnah promised extra judicial methods will be used, violence broke out throughout India, but intensely in Calcutta, Bengal. Gandhi visited Noakhali, worst affected. He did not go there until fury of Islamist attacks subsided, but before regrouping of Hindus for retaliation took place, to stop them. It was a wise move because, in general, Gandhi’s messages fell on deaf ears as far as Moslems are concerned but Hindus who elevated him to the status of a cult figure followed. He had Hindu refugees evicted from their shelters in cold winter of Delhi .Not even a kind word escaped from him for solace of Hindus affected, but sought his best to keep Muslims leaving India.

Ugly:

Gandhi was conducting experiments with truth which cost heavily to the nation to the point of dividing it. Yet his stubborn nature did not allow to make any amends. Dewan of Nizam met him and Gandhi was said to be toying with idea of conducting yet another experiment with truth, this is even after bloody and gruesome partition. And Hindus in Nizam’s Hyderabad were suffering the same fate as Hindus in Sindh and other areas of Pakistan with Razakars on rampage. His experiments centered around preventing any action by Government of India but not doing anything to prevent attacks on Hindus. Nizam started threatening bombing of India with help of friendly powers that was British. Gandhi had Nehru a willing accomplice in his experiments.

Sardar Patel could only take action when both Gandhi and Nehru were away in September 1948. Nehru was visiting London while Gandhi passed away in Jan 1948. Otherwise a South Pakistan in the belly of India would have resulted.

Similar to experiments with truth, he was also conducting experiments with celibacy. He was more than 70 years old, why such a person needs any experiments with celibacy? Few years back Government of India purchased from London auction house some personal correspondence of Gandhi containing sordid details of these experiments, to keep them confidential so that cult of Gandhi which became a brand that provided a nice backdrop to wax eloquently on non-violence which was rather peculiar much like secularism , when it came to practice in India.

Epilogue:

Fortunately even though lip service is still being paid to Gandhi, Gandhi’s non-violence, in practice his self-destructive prescriptions with regards to politics stand abandoned.

Ahimso Paramo Dharmah said Yudhishthiar, yet he did not hesitate to fight in Mahabharat war because refraining from it would have contributed great misery to people, much like what we are seeing today with regards to Pakistan. If only as many expected then that Pakistan will not survive more than 24 hours or a week , was allowed to happen instead of paying through the nose for its upkeep , a potential violence of epic proportion that lingers today would have been avoided.

Ahimsa is for strong people and strong nations. Only then the practice of it makes sense. Speak softly but carry a big stick applies much better to an emerging nation of India as a principle of non-violence.

Remembering Gandhi may be used to avoid his self-confessed Himalayan blunders. That will serve as a great lesson of history.

India before Gandhi & India after Gandhi

Losses are not forever. Himalayan blunders too can be corrected and reversed.

Only important thing is, in the name of Gandhi, pseudo-nonviolence those blunders should stay in the past, never to be repeated.

Best wishes,

Jai Hind

G V Chelvapilla

(Gandhi favored Muslims, but no Muslims thinks high of Gandhi. The Congress party uses Gandhi as its hero or leader, but hardly any congress politician has any quality or karma like Gandhi. Most of them use gundaas to support their personal and political agenda. They even associate with the terrorists and separatists. Time for the Vedics is to forget Gandhi, and listen to Bhagavaan Krishna. – Skanda987)

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Published by Vyasji

I am a senior retired engineer in USA with a couple of masters degrees.
Born and raised in the Vedic family tradition in Bhaarat. Thanks to the Vedic gurus and Sri Krishna, I am a humble Vedic preacher, and when necessary I serve as a Purohit for Vedic dharma ceremonies.
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